Unsafe helmets will be banned from November

Tag : Checked Cloth

Unsafe helmets will be banned from November
(26-07-2008)
HA NOI  Helmets not approved by the Ministry of Science andTechnology (MST), including modified helmets, will be banned as ofNovember 15, according to a recent Government decision.
At that time, all helmets must bear a Conformity Regulation (CR) orConformity Standard (CS) stamp approved by the MST.
The producer, deliverer and retail agent must be clearly written onthe helmet. Three specific designs have been approved: thatcovering half the head, that covering the head and ears and thatcovering the full face and the head.
All helmets must have a circumference of 500-520mm for protectionpurposes and weigh from 0.8 to 1.5kg.
The helmet strap, lock and inside cover must be made from materialswhich dont irritate the skin.
"At present, modified helmets are a real problem because fewmodified helmets ensure safety for users. The producers only focuson appearance  not quality," said a representative fromQuality Assurance and Testing Centre 3 under the MST.
In HCM City, 60 per cent of helmets are modified. They have diversedesigns and some dont even resemble helmets.
"Hard, small brimmed, cloth covered... they can cause thewearer injury. The rounder the helmet is, the more dangerous,"said Truong Van Viet, director of Cho Ray hospital in HCM City.
Producers must now begin planning to meet new regulations and startmaking quality products if they hope to stay in business.
"The brimmed helmets that provide shade are banned becausethey impede the drivers view," added Hoang Lam, vice directorof the centre.
At present, the centre is increasing inspection activities on themarket and among producers.
When the regulation takes effect, the market managing board willexamine drivers and fine violators wearing non-standard helmets.The police force will also fine violators.
"We are researching ways to document and implement the newregulation so police can prove that helmets dont meet the standardat the scene," said Tran Quoc Thang, Deputy Minister ofScience and Technology.
Preparing for the ban
"Already, the centre warns customers to avoid buying modifiedhelmets which dont ensure quality," said Thang.
MST is also co-operating with customer protection associations toconduct research for a quality helmet design suitable to weatherand customer tastes.
"Once we have a suitable design, producers will adopt it andwe wont have to apply strict fines any more," said Thang.
Around 63 per cent of helmets lack quality stamps and fines areminimal, according to MST statistics.
Of 2,000 helmet businesses recently checked by MST across thenation, 400 used the wrong stamp, 144 didnt ensure quality and 30used low quality helmets as promotional examples for customers.
Since the helmet regulation began last September, more than 79,000non-standard helmets have been found.  VNS